Tragic
by Cesium
Summary: A tragic loss for the Scooby gang. Well some of them anyway. And only sort of tragic...but not really...whatever.


Title: Tragic  
  
Author: Cesium  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: Both you and I know that it belongs to Joss and not to me. Except for the plot.  
  
Summary: A tragic loss for the Scooby gang. Well some of them anyway. And only sort of tragic.but not really.whatever.  
  
Distribution: If you really want it you can have it. Just tell me where it's going.  
  
@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
It was a clear night. Warm, as it always was in Sunnydale. Grass ever green and eternal stars ever shining. The moon was a sliver surrounded by diamonds, in a sky as dark as the ocean. The sun had set and the ghouls were coming out to play. But the six paid no mind, for tonight they were saying goodbye to a friend.  
  
Dawn was there for support. She had remained calm and collected throughout. She had seen destruction like this before. As had Willow, who stood alongside her. Uncharacteristically, they were the pillars of strength for those who needed their support.  
  
Xander had come out of respect. He understood the magnitude of what had happened and was determined to see it through to the bitter end. He had been hit hard by the news, but he was not nearly as devastated as Spike.  
  
Spike.  
  
His face was devoid of expression. He had obviously been cut to the core when it happened. He had insisted on carrying the guilt for the incident regardless as to whether he was to blame. He believed he had failed in his responsibility.  
  
Spike had pulled himself together in order to be there that night, but even through his tough exterior, they could see him cracking. Xander seemed to be the only one perceptive enough to respect how well he was holding up.  
  
Then there were Buffy and Anya. They were anxious, to say the least. Buffy would pace, then stop, then pace again, and Anya kind of bounced on the balls of her feet.  
  
They all had been standing in silence for a while. Anya had been the first to break it.  
  
"When are they going to start crushing things?"  
  
Spike visibly winced.  
  
"Anya!" Xander tried to hush her.  
  
"No, I'd have to agree," Buffy said, "what's taking them so long. I want crushing!"  
  
"Buffy!" Dawn spoke this time.  
  
She didn't really understand the necessity of the ceremony but she knew Spike and Xander were taking it seriously enough. Strange that it would take something like this to stop them from constantly fighting.  
  
"Guh," Anya and Buffy groaned simultaneously, then returned to their silent activities.  
They stood in waiting again. But Buffy's trademark patience was wearing thin.  
  
"Really though, why is this taking so long?" She said, exasperated that her time was being wasted.  
  
Buffy's outburst prompted Anya, Queen of No Tact, to speak her mind as well.  
  
"This is a waste of my time."  
  
The two were obviously ignorant as to what this gathering meant to both Spike and Xander. Dawn looked between the two men. Xander was staring into the distance, trying not to focus on anything, and Spike had his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he would break his teeth, or maybe Anya's.  
  
Luckily, at this moment, the subject of the ceremony came into view, and everyone grew quiet.  
  
Xander and Spike moved forward for a better view and immediately wished they hadn't. Willow moved up to support the men, but they no longer had the ability to acknowledge her presence.  
  
What they saw was devastating. They had forgotten how bad it had been. She was a sight of utter destruction. Completely mangled, and it looked as if parts of her had been lost.  
  
No one could have brought her back from this.  
  
Xander looked lost. He could not understand why such desolation had to happen. He could not understand why she could not be restored. The vision of her in this state affected him more than he had expected.  
  
Spike's face was pained when he saw what had once been his good friend move down the dreary pathway. Dawn was watching him closely, hoping he would be strong enough to hold together. She had seen him persevere through worse circumstances, but compounded, this may be too much.  
  
He would hold up now, but by the end, Dawn feared he would break down and become unable to see the ceremony through.  
  
Spike surprised her, however, by suddenly putting on the brave face she had so often seen when he was confronted with such dire circumstances.  
  
He turned to Xander, whose eyes were still fixed on the miserable scene before them.  
  
"It'll be better when this is over," Spike said, "you know neither of us could have let her remain in such a such a state."  
  
"And neither of us have the power to restore her," Xander replied, "but don't you think someone could have."  
  
"No. She could never be restored to what she once was."  
  
"It's better this way," Willow added, "closure, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. But it still hurts," Xander said.  
  
"That it does, mate. That it does."  
  
They stood again in silence and continued to watch as she moved further down the path toward her ultimate destination.  
  
Buffy and Anya had both heard this intense conversation, and still didn't understand what the big deal was.  
  
"Really guys, what's the big deal?" Buffy asked, clearly annoyed and confused at why this was such an important event for the guys.  
  
"Yeah, for crying out loud," Anya spoke up, "It's just an old dirty car."  
The six were standing in the middle of 'Jim's 24 hour Auto Wrecking' watching as Spike's car was about to be crushed and recycled. It had been stolen by a group of vamps that proceeded to crash the car then smash it with what looked like a baseball bat.and an axe.  
Xander inhaled sharply and Spike went back to 'barely containing my anger by clenching my jaw super tight' mode. Willow and Dawn both whipped their heads around to give death glares to the two women who just shrugged.  
  
After a minute, Spike continued to look forward as he forced out,  
  
"It's not 'just a car.' It is the DeSoto. My DeSoto. I had her for almost half a century. You bloody women just don't understand."  
  
"You're right, we definitely don't," Buffy confirmed.  
  
"I understand," Willow said. "The DeSoto is a classic, with its Hemi engine and push-button transmission. You can't just build something like that anymore. Cars today, they are progressively losing character. Spike's DeSoto had character."  
  
Buffy, Anya and Dawn looked at her with their jaws dropped. Even Spike and Xander tore their eyes away from the car to look at Willow with inquisitive expressions.  
  
"What, just because I'm a girl I'm not allowed to appreciate fine cars, let alone know anything about them? Pfft, grow up."  
  
Xander shrugged agreeably and turned back toward the DeSoto.  
  
"Knew I always liked you, Red," Spike said, smiling as he put his arm around Willow's shoulder bringing her up to watch the DeSoto with him and Xander.  
  
Buffy and Anya shook out of their contemplation of Willow's car knowledge and moved up into the line.  
  
"So, is it gonna get crushed now?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yes, they're crushing it now," Spike replied, "bloody insensitive bint," he continued under his breath.  
  
And so the group of six watched as the DeSoto was slowly crushed under 80 000 pounds of pressure.  
  
Spike, Xander and Willow were sad, but they accepted that the DeSoto could not be salvaged, and this was the best decision.  
  
Dawn was neutral on the subject, and Buffy and Anya were bored.  
  
"This is boring," Anya said.  
  
"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "I thought crushing a car would be more interesting. You know, all 'smush,'" she illustrated by pushing her hands together, "and stuff. And maybe with explosions."  
  
"Yes, don't cars explode when you crush them?" Anya asked.  
  
"Only in the movies," Dawn spoke up. "Hey, why don't the three of us go to the Bronze? We can meet the three of them there later."  
  
Buffy and Anya agreed and began walking away from the auto wrecking yard. Dawn began to follow, but Willow grabbed her arm.  
  
"Thanks Dawnie," she said.  
  
"No problem."  
  
Dawn ran to catch up with Anya and Buffy and joined into their conversation of girlier topics than cars.  
  
The remaining three continued to watch as the crushed hulk of metal that was once Spike's DeSoto was taken from the machine and added to the graveyard.  
  
They continued to stand in silence for several minutes, contemplating the end of an era.  
  
Spike spoke first.  
  
"Well, I guess that's it then."  
  
"Yup," Willow said.  
  
"What are you gonna do now, man?" Xander asked.  
  
"I don't know," Spike replied. "I've still got the bike."  
  
"Yeah, but."  
  
"I know. I'm thinking maybe a Cuda."  
  
"Mmmm, Cuda," Willow obviously approved.  
  
A smile crossed Spike's face.  
  
"Or maybe my poofy sire will give me his GTX."  
  
The three shared a laugh and fell silent once again.  
  
After a few more minutes, Xander spoke.  
  
"You know, we should hook up sometime. The three of us. Watch some car movies or something."  
  
Willow and Spike made non-committal noises of acknowledgement.  
  
"Now what?" Willow asked.  
  
More silence.  
  
"Beer?"  
  
"Beer."  
  
Spike and Willow agreed in unison.  
  
And so the trio left the yard and made their way toward the Bronze.  
The End 


End file.
